Best Friends Animal Sanctuary allows sleepovers with selected sanctuary dogs. These dogs have been assessed for behaviours and deemed ready to go out to the public so they can experience environments that are more like a private home.
These experiences make the dogs more suitable for adoption and they give the dog a much-needed rest from the kennel environment.
Brigit, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier x Cattle Dog, is my sleepover dog as I study dog handling skills here. She’s very sociable with people, but is reactive to other dogs which we are working on…
Today, I took Brigit for an enrichment visit to the Landing, an area of the sanctuary that is grassed and is in shade. She had a wonderful time, followed by an hour-long walk in the evening when we met many people and successfully encouraged her to look at me rather than focusing on dogs that were passing on the other side of the street.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, Canine Catering Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
